Meet Gretchen Dunn

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gretchen Dunn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gretchen, how do you allocate your resources (time & money)?
My most valuable resources are my time and my clientele. Short term thinking is how to stay afloat to the next week. Long term thinking is envisioning your ideal life and only making decisions that will take you closer to that goal. As I have grown in my photography business, I have become much more particular in what types of jobs I will take on, and who I will work with. When I first started out, I was so hungry for work, I would take any paying photography or design job. Although getting paid for my work was gratifying, these quick gigs fanned out the brand I was trying to create, and made my business chaotic and with no clear direction. Once I was able to set boundaries on the type of work I wanted to spend my time on, I focused my creative energy and flourished. I gained quality clientele that appreciated my work, and supported my business by referring me to their friends. Not every season is going to be a thriving, money-making harvest. I look at slow seasons as the time to plant seeds for the future. Network, hone my skills, continue to educated myself on new photography techniques, and stay the course towards the professional life I want for myself. It can be tempting to take on short-term work for a quick buck, and I will, but only if I truly have the extra time. It always comes second to my ultimate professional goals.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a people-photographer. I love to capture authenticity in families and couples. I am most proud of my work when my clients tell me that I captured the beauty of their chaos. Getting to where I am today professionally was not easy. I seem to have to learn all my lessons the hard way. I’ve made a ton of mistakes. It took years of hard work to find the path I am on today. The biggest challanges have been to continually educate myself on new advances in photography, as well as learning about running a business, making contracts, marketing. I have a degree in photography, but the business aspects were not something that was focused on in my formal education.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
I love to hike and discover new natural areas. My recent discover was Felicita Park in Escondido. It’s an easy walk, but feels other-worldly. My favorite places to eat is Casero Taqueria in Carlsbad and Buona Forchetta in Encinitas. I also love the secret mom and pop restaurants. The best Thai food in the city is a secret little hole in the wall spot called Thai Pan in Encinitas. And of course, Kotija Jr for Tacos.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would credit my family for my success. My parents supported my choice from a young age to pursue an artistic field. My husband has encouraged and supported me continuously, and is my biggest cheerleader.

Image Credits
All Crushdart Photography owned

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